Israeli police arrest 40 Haredi Jews for anti-IDF enlistment protests

Israeli border policemen scuffle with ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters during a demonstration in Jerusalem last yearReuters

Israeli police have arrested dozens of Haredi ultra-Orthodox Jews across the country who were protesting against the detention of four yeshiva students over their refusal to report to IDF recruitment offices for preliminary enlistment processing, according to police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.

Demonstrations took place in Jerusalem, Ashdod, the Bar Ilan interchange and other locations.

In Ashdod, 40 demonstrators were arrested with traffic delays caused by the rally.

Another four people were arrested close to the Bar Ilan interchange, and at least one demonstrator was detained in Jerusalem.

The protesters are members of a radical faction of the Haredi community who refuse to present themselves for preliminary processing for IDF enlistment.

The majority of yeshiva students get exemptions from military draft but they still need to do the preliminary processing.

The Israeli government passed a legislation last year which looks into gradually increasing Haredi enlistment and decreasing the number of exemptions.